usdot - pedestrian and walkway design guidelines

7/29/2019 USDOT - Pedestrian and Walkway Design Guidelines

1/248

Sponsored by:

Washington State Department of TransportationPuget Sound Regional Council

Association of Washington Cities

County Road Administration Board

PPPPPEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANFFFFFAAAAACILITIESCILITIESCILITIESCILITIESCILITIESGGGGGUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOK

IIIIIncorporating Pncorporating Pncorporating Pncorporating Pncorporating Pedestrians Intoedestrians Intoedestrians Intoedestrians Intoedestrians Into

WWWWWashingtonashingtonashingtonashingtonashingtons Transportation Systems Transportation Systems Transportation Systems Transportation Systems Transportation System

PPPPPEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANEDESTRIANFFFFFAAAAACILITIESCILITIESCILITIESCILITIESCILITIESGGGGGUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOKUIDEBOOK


2/248

PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

GUIDEBOOK

Incorporating Pedestrians Into

Washingtons Transportation System

Sponsored byWashington State Department of Transportation

Puget Sound Regional CouncilCounty Road Administration BoardAssociation of Washington Cities

Prepared by

September 1997


3/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK

Table of Contents

Introduction

Why a P edest r ia n F a cilit ies G uidebook? 1

Who Will U se This G uidebook? 2

Wha t is t he Focus? 2

References a nd Other Resources 3

Acknow ledgment s 3

How to Use This Guidebook

H ow S hould t he Informa t ion in This G uidebook B e U sed? 5

Rela t ionship to Ot her G uidelines a nd S t a nda rds 5

P ermission to Reproduce a nd C opy 6

Wh er e C a n You Fin d t h e I nfor ma t ion You Need in Th is G uid ebook? 6

About Pedestrians

P edest r ia ns D efined 9

P edest r ia n S a fety 9

P edest r ia n Needs 11

Levels of U se a nd Tra vel C ha ra ct erist ics 16

Design Toolkit

Toolkit 1 General Design Guidelines

P edest r ia n Fa cilit ies D efined 24

The Import a nce of G ood D esign for P edest r ia ns 24

Th e B i gg er P ict ur e C r ea t in g P ed es tr ia n F rien dly C om mu nit ies 26

C rea t ing a C ont inuous P edest r ia n S yst em 28

C rea t ing a n E ffect ive P edest ria n S yst em 28

P edest r ia n F riendly S t reet s 30

Ot her S ources of Informa t ion 31

Toolkit 2 Accessibility

U nderst a nding t he AD A 33

D esigning for P eople w ith D isa bilit ies 34

Table of

Contents


4/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOKii

Table of Contents

D esigning for Older Adult s 34

Accessible Routes of Tra vel 35

E limina t ing B a rr iers a nd Obst a cles 35

Widt hs a nd C lea ra nces 37

P a ssing a nd Rest ing Area s 37G ra des 38

C ross S lopes 38

S idew a lk C urb Ra mps 39

Ra mps 39

H a ndra ils 43

Accessibilit y Across D rivew a ys 43

S urfa cing 45

Textura l a nd Visua l C ures 45

S ite C onnect ions 46

S igning a nd Other C ommunica t ion Aids 46

Light ing 46Ot her S ources of In forma t ion 47

Toolkit 3 Children and School Zones

S pecia l C onsidera t ions Rela t ed to C hildren 50

Improving S tudent P edest ria n S a fet y A C oopera t ive P rocess 50

S chool Rela t ed P edest ria n Improvements 51

The S chool a s a C ommunity Foca l P oint 52

P edest r ia n F riendly S chools a nd S chool Zones 53

Tra ffic C ont rol a nd C rossings Nea r S chools 57

S chool Wa lk Rout es a nd S a fety P rogra ms 64

Ongoing Ma intena nce 64

Ot her S ources of In forma t ion 65

Toolkit 4 Trails and PathwaysTra ils a nd P a t hw a ys Across Mult iple J urisdict ions 67

Regiona l C onnect ivit y 68

Accessibilit y of Tra ils a nd P a thw a ys 68

Mult i-U se Tra ils a nd P a thw a ys 70

Recommended D imensions 74

P a ving a nd S ur fa cing 76

G ra des, C ross S lopes, a nd D ra ina ge 77

S houlders, S ide S lopes, a nd Ra ilings 77

C onnect ions a nd C rossings 78

Ma na ging Mot or Veh icle Access 78

Veget a t ion a nd La ndsca ping 79

S ea sona l a nd Night t ime U se 80

Ma intena nce 80



5/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK ii

Table of Contents

Toolkit 5 Sidewalks and Walkways

D et er m in in g Wh en a n d Wh er e S id ew a l ks a n d Wa l kw a y s a r e N eed ed 84

S idew a lks a nd Wa lkw a ys in Va r ious S et t ings 85

D escr ipt ions a nd C ompa risons of S idew a lks a nd Wa lkw a ys 86

Loca t ion B ot h S ides Versus One S ide 87Accessibilit y 87

Recommended D imensions 89

P a ssing, Wa it ing, a nd Rest ing Area s 89

G ra des, C ross S lope, a nd D ra ina ge 90

S ide S lopes, Ra ilings, a nd Wa lls 90

S urfa cing 91

S t reet S epa ra t ion a nd E dge Trea t ment 92

S t reet Furnishings, U t ilit ies, a nd Rela t ed C lea ra nces 97

La ndsca ping a nd S t reet Trees 99

Light ing 100

S igning 100S idew a lks in B usiness D ist rict s a nd D ow ntow ns 100

S houlders a s Wa lkw a ys in Rura l Area s 102

B icycles on S idew a lks 104

S t reet D esign C onsidera t ions 105

Ma int ena nce 109


Toolkit 6 IntersectionsE ffect s of P edest r ia n Improvement s on Vehicle C a pa cit y 114

C om m on D es ig n P r a ct ices for P ed es t ri a n C r os sin gs a t I nt er sect ion s 114

Minimizing the C rossing D ist a nces a t In t ersect ions 123

Minimizing P edest r ia n/Mot or Vehicle C onflict s 129


Toolkit 7 Crossings

D et ermining the Need for Mid-B lock C rossings 142

Mid-B lock C rossing D esign 143

Ra ilroa d C rossings 151

G ra de S epa ra t ed C rossings 152

Mult i-U se Tra il In tersect ions a nd C rossings 156

B oa rdw a lks a nd Trest les 157


Toolkit 8 Traffic Calming

Why is Tra ffic C a lming U sed? 162

Resident ia l Tra ffic Ma na gement 162

Tra ffic C a lming a nd Ma na gement Met hods 163



6/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOKiv

Table of Contents

Toolkit 9 Pedestrian Access to Transit

Tra nsit C ompa t ible D esign 176

Improving Tra nsit Fa cilit ies for P edest ria ns 177

Tra nsit S tops a nd B us P ullout s 179

Tra nsit C enters 181P a rk-a nd-Ride F a cilit ies 181

Tra nsit Ma lls 182

C oordina t ion B et w een Agencies 183


Toolkit 10 Site Design for PedestriansThinking About P edest r ia ns a s P ar t of S it e D evelopment 186

P edest r ia n Fr iendly S it e D esign 186

Wa lkw a ys a nd Accessible Routes 187

S it e Access a nd D r ivew a y D esign 188

On-S ite C ircula t ion a nd P a rking 191B uilding Loca t ion a nd D esign 193

La ndsca ping a nd Furnish ings 194

Ra mps, S t a irw a ys, a nd S t eps 194

S ites U sed E xclusively by P edest r ia ns 195

St ra tegy for Increasing P edestria n Tra vel

Mixed U se S it e D evelopment 198


Toolkit 11 Safety in Work ZonesP rot ect ive B a rr iers 202

C overed Wa lkw a ys 202

S idew a lk C losure D uring C onst ruct ion 202

Int ersect ions a nd C rossings Nea r Work Zones 203

Ma int ena nce 204


Resource Guide 204

Glossary 215

Index 227

Metric to English Conversion Chart

Comment Request Form


7/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK v

Table of Contents

List of Tables

Ta ble 1 Ant icipa ted G uidebook U sers 2

Ta ble 2 D esign Focus 2

Ta ble 3 P edest ria n Fa cilit ies Are: 2Ta b le 4 O t her D ocu men t s t o R ev iew for P ed es t ria n F a ci lit y D es ig n 6

Ta ble 5 C ommon C ha ra ct er ist ics of P edest r ia n C ollisions 10

Ta ble 6 S ome Import a n t Needs of P edest r ia ns 12

Ta ble 7 C ommon P edest r ia n C ha ra ct er ist ics by Age G roup 14

Ta ble 8 Aids to Older P edest r ia ns 15

Ta ble 9 Aids t o P edest r ia ns With D isa bilit ies 15

Ta ble 10 Why U rba n Area s Receive H igh P edest r ia n U se 17

Ta ble 11 Typica l Types of P edest ria n Trips 17

Ta ble 12 P edest ria n Trip F a ct s 18

Ta b le 13 C om mon R ea s on s for L ow L evels of P ed es tr ia n Tr a vel 19

Ta ble 14 Ask t he Follow ing Quest ions 20

Ta ble 15 E xpa nded D efinit ion of P edest r ia n Fa cilit ies 24

Ta ble 16 S ta te P olicy for E ncoura ging P edest ria n Tra vel 25

Ta ble 17 Common Cha ra cteristics of P edestr ian Friendly Communit ies 26

Ta ble 18 Typica l E lements of P edest ria n Fr iendly S t reet s 30

Ta ble 19 D efinit ion of Accessible Rout e of Tra vel 35

Ta ble 20 Import a nt Things t o Remember About Cur b Cut s

a t In t ersect ions 42

Ta ble 21 AD A Requirement s for Ra mps 42

Ta ble 22 S umma ry of Accessibilit y Requirement s 47

Ta ble 23 Most C ommon Types of P edest ria n/Motor Vehicle Collisions

for C hildren Aged K-6 49

Ta ble 24 S ome S pecia l Limit at ions of C hildren Aged 5 to 9 50

Ta ble 25 P rocess for Improving S t udent P edest r ia n S a fet y 51

Ta ble 26 The S chool a s a C ommunit y F oca l P oint 52

Ta ble 27 E lement s of G ood S chool S it e D esign 53

Ta ble 28 Roa dside P edestria n Im provements Along S chool Wa lk

Rout es 55

Ta ble 29 Potentia l Tra ffic Control a nd C rossing Treat ments Near

S chools 59

Ta ble 30 When t o U t ilize Adult C rossing G ua rds 62

Ta ble 31 P rima ry Funct ions of S tuden t S a fet y P a t rollers 62

Ta ble 32 P rocedures for D eveloping S chool Wa lk Rout es 64

Ta ble 33 D esign G uidelines for Recrea t iona l Tra ils 70

Ta ble 34 Delinea tion/Separ a tion Treat ments for Multi-U se P a thw a ys

71

Ta ble 35 Separa tion Treat ments for Multi-U se Pa thw a y Next to

Roa dw a y 75

Ta ble 36 Recommended D imensions for Tra ils a nd P a thw a ys 75


8/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOKvi

Table of Contents

Ta ble 37 P riorit ies for P edest ria ns Tra veling Along S treet s 83

Ta ble 38 ITE Crit eria t o Be Ana lyzed to Determine P edestr ian

S a fet y D eficiencies 85

Ta b le 39 R ecom m en ded D im en sion s for S id ew a l ks a nd Wa l kw a y s 88

Ta ble 40 Adva nta ges a nd D isa dva nt ages of P la nt ing B uffers 92Ta ble 41 Recommenda t ions for Wa lking S houlders 104

Ta ble 42 Access Ma na gement 107

Ta ble 43 B enefit s a nd D isa dva nt a ges of One-Wa y S t reet s 109

Ta ble 44 Ba sic Pr inciples of Int ersection Design t o Accommodat e

P edest r ia ns 114

Ta b le 45 G u id elin es for I n st a l la t i on of P ed es t ria n I m pr ov em en t s 118

Ta ble 46 Cit y of Bellevue Recommend ed Element s t o Be Analy zed When

D et ermining t he Need for Ma rked C rossw a lks 119

Ta ble 47 C rossw a lk Widt h a nd Ma rking G uidelines 120

Ta ble 48 Adva nta ges and Disa dvan ta ges of Crosswa lk

Ma rking P a t t erns 121Ta b le 49 B en efit s a n d D is a dv a nt a ges of S h or t en in g C ur b R a dii 125

Ta ble 50 L oca t ion s Wh er e R efuge I sla n ds a re Most B en eficia l 127

Ta b le 51 M ea s ur es t o I m pr ov e t h e E f fect iv en es s of P u sh B u t t on s 132

Ta ble 52 C rossing D ist a nces, S peeds, a nd Time 133

Ta ble 53 Reducing Turning C onflict s 135

Ta ble 54 D esign G uidelines for Media ns a nd Refuge I sla nds 147

Table 55 Common Residential Traf f ic Mana gement P rogra m Actions 164

Ta ble 56 C ommon Types of Tra ffic C a lming Met hods 164

Ta ble 57 Low Cost I mprovements to Increase P edestr ian

Access t o Tra nsit 179

Ta ble 58 P edest r ia n F riendly S it e D esign C hecklist 186Ta b le 59 C h eck lis t for S u cces sf ul Mix ed U s e S it e D ev el opm en t s 198

Ta ble 60 C on sider a tion s for P ed est ria n Sa fet y in Wor k Zon es 202

Ta ble 61 Work Zone Ma int ena nce 204

List of Figures

Figure 1 Fa t a lit ies B a sed on S peed of Vehicle 10

Figure 2 Thinking and Stopping Dista nces Related to Speed of Tra vel 11

Figure 3 H uma n D imensions When Wa lking a nd S it t ing 13

Figure 4 S pa t ia l Needs for P edest r ia ns 13

Figure 5 S pa t ia l B ubbles 14

Figure 6 S pa tia l D imensions for P eople Wit h D isa bilit ies 16

Figure 7 C rea t ing a n E ffect ive P edest ria n S yst em 29

Figure 8 Accessible S it e D esign 36

Figure 9 Accessible P a ssing Area 37

Figure 10 Accessible Ra mped P a t hw a y Wit h La ndings 38

Figure 11 Accessible C urb Ra mp D esign D eta ils 40


9/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK vii

Table of Contents

Figure 12 Accessible S idew a lk C urb Ra mp D esigns 41

Figure 13 S idew a lk C urb Ra mps a t In t ersect ions 41

Figure 14 H a ndra il D et a il 43

Figure 15 Tra dit iona l D rivew a y D esign 44

Figure 16 D rivew a y Wit h Wide S idew a lks 44Figure 17 D rivew a y Wit h P la nt ing S t r ips 44

Figure 18 D rivew a y Wit h S idew a lk B ehind 44

Figure 19 D rivew a y Wit h D ipped S idew a lk 44

Figure 20 Text ura l C ues 46

Figure 21 S chool S it e D esign 54

Figure 22 S idew a lk 55

Figure 23 S houlder Wa lkw a y 55

Figure 24 Typica l B us S top D esign for U rba n Loca t ion 56

Figure 25 Typica l B us S t op D esign for Rura l Loca t ion 57

Figure 26 S chool S igns 63

Figure 27 One La ne S chool Ma rking 64Figure 28 Accessible Tra il/P a thw a y 68

Figure 29 U niversa l Levels of Accessibilit y S igns 69

Figure 30 Mult i-U se P a t hw a y S t riping 72

Figure 31 Mult i-U se P a thw a y 72

Figure 32 P aved Multi-U se Pa thw ay With S epar at ed Soft Surface

Tra il for E quest r ia ns a nd J oggers 72

Figure 33 P a t hw a y S epa ra t ion F rom Roa dw a y 73

Figure 34 P a ved P edest ria n-Only P a t hw a y 73

Figure 35 U npa ved P edest r ia n-Only P a t hw a y 73

Figure 36 U npa ved Mult i-U se P a t hw a y 73

Figure 37 Mult i-U se P a t hw a y P a vement C ross S ect ions 76Figure 38 P a thw a ys Requiring Ra ilings 78

Figure 39 Thickened-E dge P a vement D esign 79

Figure 40 B olla rd S pa cing 79

Figure 41 S plit P a t hw a y E nt ra nce 80

Figure 42 Root B a rr ier 80

Figure 43 Wa it ing a nd Rest ing Area s 89

Figure 44 Wa ll D esign Trea t ment s 90

Figure 45 P la nt ing B uffer B et w een S idew a lk a nd S t reet 93

Figure 46 P lant ing Str ips Provided a s Area for Signs, Ut ilities,

a nd S t reet Furnishings 93

Figure 47 S t ra ight Wa lkw a y 93

Figure 48 Wa lkw a y w it h S light Mea nder 93

Figure 49 S idew a lk S epa ra t ed by a D it ch 94

Figure 50 S idew a lk Adja cent t o C urb a nd G ut t er 94

Figure 51 Vert ica l C urb Adja cent t o a P la nt ing S t r ip 95

Figure 52 S idew a lk Wit h Rolled C urb 95

Figure 53 P la cement of E xt ruded or Timber C urbing 96


10/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOKviii

Table of Contents

Figure 54 B ike La ne as B uffer B etween P edestr ian a nd Motor

Vehicles 97

Figure 55 C lea ra nce for S idew a lks a nd Wa lkw a ys 98

Figure 56 P edest r ia n Tra vel Wa y, C lea r of Obst ruct ions 98

Figure 57 U rba n S t reet side Zone 101Figure 58 S hy D ist a nce B et w een B uilding a nd Wa lkw a y 101

Figure 59 S houlder Wa lkw a y 103

Figure 60 On-St reet P ar king as a Buffer Betw een S treet and

P edest r ia n Wa lkw a y 105

Figure 61 P a rking Overha ng 106

Figure 62 Access Ma na gement 108

F igur e 63 Ma rked a nd U nm arked C rossw a lks a t In t er sect ion 116

Figure 64 G uidelines for t he Insta llat ion of Marked Crosswa lks

a t Un c on t rol led I nter sect i on s an d Mi d-B l ock C rossi ng s 118

Figure 65 Clear Trave l Area for P edes tr ians a t In te rsect ion Corners 119

Figure 66 C rossing S igns 123F ig ure 67 R ed uced C ross in g D i st an ce Wi th R ed u ced C urb R ad iu s 124

Figure 68 Reduced C urb Ra dii a t One-Wa y Intersect ion 124

Figure 69 E longa ted Refuge I sla nd a t Right -Turn Slip La ne 126

Figure 70 Right -Turn S lip La ne a nd Refuge I sla nd 126

Figure 71 Media n/Refuge I sla nd a t a n Intersect ion 128

Figure 72 Typica l C urb E xt ension D esign 128

Figure 73 Typica l C urb B ulb-Out D esign 128

Figure 74 C urb B ulb-Outs a nd E xtensions 129

Figure 75 S ight D ist a nce a t In t ersect ion C orners 129

F igur e 76 Recomm ended P a rking S et ba ck for Sight Dist a nce 130

Figure 77 P edest ria n Indica t ion S equence 131Figure 78 Modern Rounda bout D esign 137

Figure 79 Tra ffic C a lming C ircle 138

Figure 80 S pecia l P a ving 139

Figure 81 Typica l Mid-B lock C rossing 142

Figure 82 Mid-B lock C rossing of Tw o-La ne Arter ia l 144

Figur e 83 Mid-B lock C rossing of F ive-La ne Arteria l With

E xist ing Media n 146

Figure 84 C rossing S igns 149

Figure 85 S oft S a ndw ich 150

Figure 86 P ort a ble P edest r ia n F la gs 151

Figure 87 Typica l G eomet r ies of Overhea d C rossings 155

Figure 88 Tunnel 156

Figure 89 Typica l G eomet r ies of U nderpa sses 157

F ig ure 90 Tra f fi c M an ag em en t Approac h S ol vi ng th e P ro bl em s 163

Figure 91 Recommended Tra ffic C a lming C ircle D esign 167

Figure 92 Na rrow ed S t reet 168

Figure 93 C hica nes 168


11/248

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK ix

Table of Contents

Figure 94 C urb B ulb-Out s a nd E xtensions 169

Figure 97 Ra ised C rossw a lk/S peed Ta ble 172

Figure 98 Tra nsit C ompa t ible Object ives 176

Figure 99 Widened S idew a lk in B us Loa ding Area 177

Figure 100 Typica l B us S t op C ross-S ect ion 177Figure 101 B us S helt ers a nd C overed S t ructures 178

Figure 102 S a me C orner B us S top Loca t ions 180

Figure 103 P edest r ia n Fr iendly S hopping C ent er 187

Figure 104 Accessible B uilding E nt ra nce 188

Figure 105 C overed Wa lkw a ys 188

Figure 106 D rivew a y D esign C ompa r isons 189

Figure 107 Wide P la nt ing Area s a t D rivew a y 190

Figure 108 Access t o Tra nsit 191

Figure 109 S ha red P a rking Lot 192

Figure 110 La nding P la cement for S t a irw a ys 196

Figure 111 S t a ir/S tep Nosing D esign 196Figure 112 P edest ria n P la za 197

Figure 113 Mixed-U se S it e D evelopment C oncept 198

F ig ur e 114 Tem por a ry P ed es tr ia n Rou tes Ar ou nd Wor k Zon es 203


12/248

Introduction

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK 1

IntroductionWhy a Pedestrian

Facilities Guidebook?

As our st a tes populat ion continues to grow,

w e strive to creat e livable commun ities tha t

of fer a diversi ty o f tra nsporta t ion al terna tives

including convenient, reliable, safe, efficient,

a nd a t t ra ct ive pedestrian fa cil i t ies .

Most of us ar e pedestria ns a t some point ea ch

da y, a nd for some of us, especially children,

wa lking is a prima ry mode of tra nsporta t ion .

Whether we w alk severa l miles a day , use a

w heelcha ir t o get from our office to th e bus

stop, r ide a skat eboar d t hrough t he park, or

simply wa lk across the parking lot from our

car t o the grocery st ore ent ra nce, a ll of us

ha ve a need for w ell-designed an d properly

functioning pedestria n fa cilities.

To dat e, there ha s been limited informa tion

published a bout h ow to design pedestria nfa cilities, a nd no comprehensive design

guidelines h a ve been developed for use in

Wa shingt on. Severa l existing sources cont a in

design criteria relat ed to pedestr ian fa cilities,

a lthough in some design guideline documents,

th e focus is on enha ncing the speed and

mobility of motor vehicles, often a t t he

expense of pedestria n needs. In some ca ses,

th ere is significant design guidance relat ed to

bicycle facilities, but minima l a dvice for

design of pedestria n fa cilities.

As par t of the pla nning process tha t

culminat ed in the development of the 1994

Tr ansport ation Pol icy Plan for Washington

State, the subcommittee responsible for

creat ing the Pedestri an Poli cy Pl an

recommended tha t t he Wa shington St at e

Depar tm ent of Tra nsporta tion (WSD OT)

coordina te w ith o ther sta te a nd local

jurisdictions t o develop a pedestr ian design

ma nual t ha t r ecommends appropriate designpra ctices for pedestria n fa cilities a nd provides

common sense a pproa ches to improving t he

pedestr ian environment . This guidebook ha s

been creat ed in response to tha t

recommendation.

I ncreasing pedestr ian tr avel an d safety ar e

objectives of Washi ngtons Tran spor tat ion Pl an.


13/248

Introduction

P EDESTRIAN FACILITIES G UIDEBOOK2

Who Will Use ThisGuidebook?

The design guid elines provided in th is

guidebook w ill as sist WSD OT, cities, counties,

privat e developers, design professionals, a nd

others in designing, constructing, a nd

ma inta ining pedestria n faci l it ies in a va rie ty

of sett ings, including urba n, suburban and

rura l communities throughout Wa shingt on.

The prima ry a udience of t he guidebook will betransportation design practitioners, including

th ose listed in Ta ble 1.

Ta b le 2

Design Focus

The prima ry focus of th is guidebook is t o

encourage good planning, design, andengineering practices related t o

pedestria n facilities. The guidebook a lso

a ddresses a few importa nt constr uction,

ongoing ma intena nce, and operat iona l

a spects relat ed to pedestria n fa cilities.

Ta b le 1

Anticipated Guidebook Users

P r i ma r y Aud i ence

Traf f ic and tra nsportat ion engineers Si te development a nd building permit

review st aff

Planners and designers, including

a rchitects, civil engineers, landsca pe

a rchitects, urba n designers, an d other

design professiona ls

D eveloper s

Other s Who M igh t F i nd t he

Gu id ebook H elp fu l

S ch ool dis t rict s

Neighborhood councils and planning

committees

Metropolita n planning organizat ions

Cen tra l bus iness d is t r ict p lanning

orga niza t ions/busin ess people

S ma ll t ow ns

Off icia ls and pol it i cians

Specia l campaigns and programs

C it izen a d voca t es

Ta b le 3

Pedestrian Facilities Are:

Sidewalks, tra ils, curb ra mps, traffic

calming a nd contr ol devices, grade

sepa ra ted crossings, wide shoulders a nd

other technology, design feat ures, a nd

stra tegies intended to encourage

pedestria n tra vel.

Source: Washi ngton Stat e Tr ansport ati on

Policy Plan, 1994

What is the Focus?

The focus of this guidebook is on des ignof

pedest r i a n f a c i l i t i e s (see Tables 2 and 3),

but good design is only one component of a

successful pedestr ian fa cility. Conscientious

plann ing, effective educa tion progra ms, a nd

consistent sa fety an d law enforcement a lso

cont ribute to improving our communities for

pedestr ian s. Some ba sic principles rela ted to

plann ing for pedestr ian s a re provided in thisguidebook, but t he overa ll intent is t o

encourage good design practices.


14/248

Introduction


References and

Other Resources

The technical informa tion conta ined in th is

guidebook was compiled from numerous

sources. The Resource G uide at t he end of

the guidebook provides a comprehensive list

of sources for informa tion relat ed to

pedestr ian pla nning a nd design, including

sources referenced for th is document . In

a ddition to the Resource G uide, rea ders

interested in finding additional information

relat ed to specific types of pedestria n fa cilities

w ill f ind a list of releva nt sources of

informa tion a t t he end of each section of the

design t oolkit. The Resource Guid e als o list s

sources of informa tion relat ed to pedestria n

planning, educat ion, and enforcement. The

State Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on and Pedestr ian

Walkways Plan, published by WSD OT in

1995, provides comprehensive pedestr ia n

pla nning informa tion a nd addresses law s and

other plan s support ing nonmotorized

tra nsporta t ion , costs , a nd funding

opportunit ies , as well as pedestrian safe ty

educa tion an d enforcement.

When no specific source is referenced for

gra phics, f igures, and t a bles in this document,

Ota k creat ed those dra win gs a nd/or compiled

th e informa tion especially for use on th e

P edestria n Fa cilities G uidebook. In some

cases, other documents or sources of

informa tion may have been researched a nd

specifica lly a da pted for this gu idebook based

on input fr om the ad visory gr oup a nd other

technical experts involved.

Acknowledgments

Funding for t h is report wa s provided in pa rt

by member jurisdictions of the P uget S ound

Regional Council grant s from US Departm ent

of Tra nsporta tion, Federal Tra nsit

Administrat ion , Federa l Highwa y

Administrat ion , and Washington St at e

Depart ment of Tra nsporta t ion .

Sponsoring Agencies andOrganizations

Wash i ng ton S t a te D epar tm e n t of

Transportation

C ou n ty R oad A dm in is t r a t i on B oard

P uget Sound Regional Counci l

Associat ion of Washington Cit ies

Advisory Group Members

Da ve Almond , City o f Redmond

G a ry Arm s t ron g , C i t y of S t an wo od

J ames B loodgood , Snohomish County

B o b B ru gg em an , S p ok an e C ou n ty

J oh n D e wh ir s t , S n oh om i sh C o un ty

C h u ck G reen , C la rk C ou n ty

M a t t H a y s , F eet F ir s t

J on J a i n g a , C i t y of Fe de ra l Way

J ean n e K r i kaw a , S ea t t l e P e d es t r ian

Advisory Board

Tony Mazzel la , C i ty o f K irk land

Kirk McKin ley , City o f Shore line

Michae l Meagher , K ing County

P h i l M il le r, K i ng C ou n ty

J oh n Mi lton , WS D OT

P a g e S cot t , K it t i t a s C ou n ty

D av i d S m i th , K i t sap C ou n ty

Anne Tonella-Howe, City o f Bellevue

Bob Vogel , P ierce County

Da ve Whi tcher , County Road

Administra t ion B oa rd

S an d ra Wood s , C i t y of S ea t t l e


15/248

Introduction


Other Reviewers

K ing Cushman , Puget Sound Regional

Council

Mat t Feeney , Puget S ound Reg ional Counci l Ca rol ine Feiss, Puge t Sound Reg ional

Council

K a th y J oh n son , C it y of L yn nwo od

Kat h i Ross i, K ing County review o f

tra nsi t re lated informa tion

Consultant Team

Ot a k, I nc.

Mandi Roberts , P roject Mana ger

Tra cy Bla ck, Document E ditorin association wi th:

KJ S Associa tes, Inc.

P a cific Rim Resources, Inc.

Lin & Associat es, Inc.

Project Managers

Mike Dorn feld , WSDOT

Ned Conroy, Puget Sound Regional Council


16/248



How Should the

Information in This

Guidebook Be Used?

The informa tion present ed in this gu idebook

should not be interpreted as sta nda rds,

specifica tions, requ irements, or regulat ions,

but ra ther a s design guidelines.

The guidelines in cluded in t his g uidebook

a pply t o norma l situa tions encountered during

project development. U niqu e design problems

sometimes require flexibility in design

solutions. Other a vaila ble design informa tion

a nd a ll a pplicable federa l, stat e, a nd local

requirements should be reviewed as part of

project design.

The informa tion present ed in this gu idebook

ma y not solve all problems a ssociat ed with

pedestria n tr a vel, but it provides a first step

in establishing a consistent set of sta tew ide

guidelines for design of pedestrian facilities.

The guidebook can a lso be used a s a tool to

build consensu s on sometimes differing

a pproa ches t o design.

The guidelines in th is guidebook a re often

presented in t erms of desirable an d

minimum dimensions or recommenda tions.

These recommend a tions sh ould be applied

w ith professional judgement t o achieve design

solutions tha t a re specifica lly ta ilored to the

circumsta nces encount ered. For exa mple, if a

sidewa lk receives a high a mount of use, the

project designer or local design reviewer may

elect t o apply th e desira ble dimension over

the minimum for the sidew a lk w idth.

This guidebook represents th e work of the

Advisory G roup and is not necessa rily the

posit ion of a ny of th e ag encies involved.

Relationship to Other

Guidelines and

Standards

Cities and counties may already have a dopted

sta nda rds relat ed to design of pedestria n

facilities th a t supersede the guidelines in this

guidebook. When no st a nda rds ha ve been

a dopted by federal, st a te, or local a gencies,

these guidelines an d other documents ca n

provide useful direction to design

practit ioners. Event ua lly, local agencies ma y

am end their current design standa rds to

incorpora te a ll or portions of these guidelines.

P edestr ian facilities should be designed a nd

built in a ccorda nce wit h existing federa l,

s ta te , and local s tanda rds as a pplicable. In

How to Use

This Guidebook

Washington pedestr ian s li ve, work, and pl ay in

a w id e var iety of setti ngs, and design of

pedestr i an fa cil i ti es needs to be adaptabl e to

th ese sett ings.


17/248



6

some si tuat ions, the current sta ndard ma y

not be achievable due to geometric,

environmenta l, or other constr a ints. In these

circumstances, variances from the standard

ma y be a ccepta ble; however, a facility shouldnot typically be built to less tha n the

minimum standards described. Deviations

from sta nda rds should be documented an d

justified through specia l studies. Refer t o the

L ocal Agency Gui deli nes (LAG) Man ualfor

procedures for deviat ing from sta nda rds.

Ta ble 4 lists severa l documents tha t include

other design informa tion rela ted topedestrians.

Permission to

Reproduce and Copy

P ermission is grant ed by the aut hors a nd

sponsors of this gu idebook to all other pa rt ies

to ma ke and distribut e copies of all or portions

of the informa tion in t his guidebook, w ithout

limita tions, in a ccordance with t he fair use

provisions of the U nited St a tes Copyright Act.

Where Can You Find

the Information You

Need in This

Guidebook?

About Pedestrians

Refer to t he next s ection of th is guidebook,

About P edestr ians, for informa tion about the

needs a nd chara cteristics of pedestria ns a nd

factors tha t a f fect pedestrian tr avel .

Design Toolkit

The D esign Toolkit provides r ecommend a tions

under 11 topics. A directory of the t oolkit

topics is provided on t he first pag e of the

D esign Toolkit for ea sy refer ence. Toolkit 1

G eneral Design G uidelines, provides a general

Ta b le 4

Other Documents to Review forPedestrian Facility Design

Local design standards, zoning codes

a nd development codes

Ameri cans with Di sabil i ti es Act(ADA)

Federal Requirements

Manual on U niform T raff ic Contr ol

Devices, Federal Highwa y

Administration, USDOT

A Pol icy on Geometr ic Design of

H ighw ays and St reets, American

Associat ion of Sta te Highwa y and

Tra nsporta tion Officia ls (AASH TO)

Un iform Bui l ding Code(UBC),

Int erna tional C onference of B uilding

Officia ls, a nd/or loca lly a dopted

building code

L ocal Agency Guideli nes M anual,

WSDOT

A Gu id ebook for Student Pedestri an

Safety, WSD OT

A Guid ebook for Resid enti al Tr affic

M anagement, WSD OT

Design M anual, S ection 1020 Facilities

for Nonmotorized Transportation,

WSDOT Gui de for the Development of B icycle

Facilities, AASHTO

Note: Th is is only a parti al li st and does not

in clud e al l avai la ble resour ces. See the Resour ce

Gui de for other r elevant publi cations

Look for the Boxes

Importa nt a nd helpful informa tion ishighlight ed in boxes like this one,

throughout the guidebook.


18/248



overview of design considerat ions r elated to

pedestria ns and creat ing pedestr ian friendly

commun it ies. Toolkit 2 Accessibilit y,

provides recommenda tions a nd guidelines

related to accessible design and compliancewit h th e American s wit h Disa bilities Act

(ADA). The remaining toolkit sections focus on

more specific area s of pedestria n fa cility

design.

Resource Guide

Look in the Resource Guide near the end of

th is guidebook for a comprehensive list of

sources related t o plann ing a nd design of

pedestria n fa cilities. Releva nt sources ofinforma tion related t o pedestrian facilities

a ddressed are a lso listed at the end of each

toolkit section.

Glossary

A glossary is provided at the end of this

guidebook. Terms an d acronyms relat ed to

pedestria n facilities a ddressed in this

guidebook are defined and described.

Index

The index a t t he end of this guidebook

provides an alphabetical listing of subject

headings a nd w ords to help you quickly find

informa tion a bout specific topics.

Someti mes, there's more than "one-way" to fi nd

th e best sol ut i on for d esign of pedestr ian

facilities.

Metric to English Conversion Chart

Dimensions a re shown in m etric throughout

the document w ith En glish equiva lents

following in pa rent heses. A metr ic to Englishconversion cha rt is provided near the end of

th e guidebook for ea sy r eference purposes.

Comment Request Form

A comment request form is provided on t he

last page of the guidebook. If you have

comment s on t he guidebook, please fill out

this form an d return it to the WSD OT a ddress

shown. Your input w ill be referenced for futu re

updat es and revisions to the guidebook.


19/248

About Pedestrians


About

PedestriansUndersta nding the needs a nd chara cterist ics

of pedestrians a nd fa ctors tha t af fect

pedestria n tra vel is import a nt w hen designing

pedestria n facilities. This part of the

guidebook describes the ma ny t ypes of

pedestria ns a nd provides informa tion about

pedestria n safety a nd current resea rch on

levels of pedestria n t ra vel.

Pedestrians Defined

Every tr ip begins and ends a s a pedestria n

tr ip w hether w a lking to a bus stop or a cross

a parking lot to your car.

Wa shington S ta te law defines a Pedestrian

a s:

An y per son w ho is afoot or wh o is using a

wh eelcha ir or a m eans of conveyance

pr opell ed by hum an power other th an abicycle(RCW 46.04.400),

an d a Handicapped Pedestrian a s:

A pedestr ian , or per son in a w heelchai r ,

who has l i mi ted mobi l i ty, stam ina, agi l i ty,

reacti on t im e, im pair ed vi sion or h eari ng,

or who may have di f f icu l ty walk ing wi th

or w it hout assisti ve devices (WAC 236-60-

010).

B y st a te definition, rollerska ters, in-line

skaters , and ska teboar ders are also

pedestrians.

Pedestrian Safety

Ana lys is of pedest ria n/mot or vehicle collisions

can h elp esta blish engineering, educat ion, a nd

enforcement solutions. Most reported

pedestria n injuries ar e a result of collisions

w ith mot or vehicles. The Wa shingt on Tra fficSafety Commission reported that there were

2,029 pedestria ns st ruck by motor vehicles in

th e st a te of Wa shingt on in 1995. Of those, 75

pedestrians were killed, accounting for 11.5

percent of all persons killed in t ra ffic-rela ted

collisions.

Accordin g t o Walk T al l : A Cit izens Gui de to

Walkable Comm uni ti es, published by t he

P edestr ian Federat ion of America in 1995, the

average cost to society of a pedestrian-motorvehicle collision is $312,000, or a t ota l of $32

billion each yea r, nat ionw ide. Common

chara cteristics of pedestr ian collisions a re

listed in Ta ble 5.

Vehicle speed is a significant factor in causing

fat a lities as a result of pedestr ian collisions.Every tr ip begins and ends as a pedestr ian tr ip.


20/248

About Pedestrians


The faster a motorist drives, the more likely

injuries to a person on foot w ill result in

deat h. The cha rt in Figure 1 illustra tes the

ra te of deat h th a t occurs in correla tion to the

speed of a vehicle involved.

As t he figure sh ows, w hen collisions occur

wit h t he vehicle tra velling a t a speed of 65

kph (40 mph), 85 percent of pedest ria ns a re

killed, compared to a death rate of 45 percent

a t a vehicle speed of 50 kph (30 mph), an d

only 5 percent a t a vehicle speed of 30 kph (20

mph). The abilit y to stop in time for crossing

pedestria ns a lso significa ntly decreases as

vehicle speed increa ses, as s hown in F igure 2.

Another common reason for pedestrian/

a utomobile collisions is driver inat tention. In

1995, the Wa shingt on Tra ffic Sa fety

Commission conducted a survey to mea sure

driver compliance with the pedestrian

crosswa lk la w . Over one-th ird of observed

drivers did not fully comply wit h this la w.

Ta b le 5

Common Characteristics ofPedestrian Collisions

D r iver i na t t en t ion

Struck by vehicle while crossing at an

int ersection (50 percent of a ll

collisions)

Struck by vehicle while crossing mid-

block (33 percent of a ll collisions)

S t ruck f rom beh ind whi le walking

along the roadw ay in the same

direction as t ra ffic (part icular ly in

rural areas)

Motorist exceeding safe speed

(contributes to most pedestrian

deaths)

Dar t ing ou t in to the s t reet a t mid-

block (most common t ype of pedest ria n

collision for children)

Vehicles backing up (difficult to see

children a nd others w a lking behind)

Collisions in urban areas (80 percent

of all collisions)

Sources: Washington State Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on

and Pedestri an Wal kwa ys Plan ; Pedestr ian and

Bi cycle Crash Types of t he Earl y 1990s; (Snyder,

Kn oblauch, Moore, and Schmi tz; Cross and Fi sher)

F igu r e 1

Source: Walk Tal l: A Cit izens Gui de to Walkabl e

Communities

Fatalities Based on Speed ofVehicle


21/248

About Pedestrians


Children and Older Adults

P edestr ians most likely t o be involved in

collisions a re a lso the ones who most r ely on

pedestrian t ra vel for t ra nsporta t ion

children and older adults. In Wa shington,children a nd young a dults a ge 5 to 19

const itut e only 21.8 percent of th e popula tion;

yet bet w een 1990 a nd 1995, this group

a ccounted for 34.3 percent of a ll pedest ria n

injuries na tionwide (Washin gton State

Pedestri an Coll ision D ata, 1990 to 1995).

According to the Wa shington S ta te

Depa rt ment of Healt h, in 1989-1990,

pedestria n collisions were t he third highest

cause of hospitaliza tions for unint entiona l

injuries of children betw een the a ges of 5 and14 yea rs in Wa shingt on. The Wa shingt on

Tra ffic Sa fety C ommission report ed in 1995

tha t the a ge groups of 10 to 14 and 15 to 19

were st ruck by motor vehicles at a much

higher average rate than other age groups.

P eople over a ge 65 represented 13 percent of

the national population in 1992; yet accounted

for 23 percent of all pedestria n dea ths during

tha t same year (Walk Al er t , N at ional

Pedestr ian Sa fety Program Gui de).

P edestrian s over 65 a re tw o to four t imes morelikely t o die when involved in a pedestria n-

motor vehicle collision. Older adu lts a re

part icular ly more vulnerable while crossing

the street, since they need more time to cross.

Pedestrian Needs

In order to successfully design pedestrian

facilities, we must recognize tha t pedestrian

needs are w ide-ra nging, a nd our design

a pproa ch must be flexible to meet the

diversity of needs.

For some of Wa shingt ons populat ion,

pedestria n tra vel is the primary mode of

tr a nsporta tion. Citizens in this segment of the

popula tion include those wh o do not use a

F igu r e 2

Thinking and Stopping Distances Related to Speed of Travel(U nder Optimum Conditions)

Note: Safe stoppin g sight di stances may dif fer f rom t hese di stances. Refer t o AASHTO.

Source: Walk Tal l: A Cit izens Gui de to Walkabl e Communi ti es; Ki ll in g Speed and Savi ng Li ves


22/248

About Pedestrians


motor vehicle including some older a dult s,

children a nd young adult s, people who wa lk to

the bus or other forms of tra nsit, people with

certa in disa bilities, a nd people who cant

a fford to own car s. There a re also ma ny w hochoose pedestria n tr a vel a s their primar y

mode.

One common obsta cle in design of pedestr ia n

faci li t ies is assuming tha t one standa rd can be

a pplied to fit a n avera ge population. For

example, the speed tha t pedestria ns tra vel can

vary greatly , yet pedestrian signals ar e of ten

timed for average walking speeds of 4.8 to 6.4

kph (3 to 4 mph). Ch ildren, older a dult s, an d

people with certa in disabilities typically tra vela t much lower w a lking speeds 3.2 kph (2

mph).

P edestr ian needs a re diverse. Some typical

pedestria n needs a re listed in Ta ble 6.

Acceptable Walking Distances

Accepta ble wa lking distan ces w ill vary

depending on geography, climate conditions,

a nd la nd use pat terns. The dista ncepedestria ns w ill tra vel is also influenced by

the w eat her, the time of day, demographics,

the purpose of their tr ip, and ma ny other

fa ctors. Most people w ill w a lk longer

dista nces for r ecreat iona l purposes, but prefer

to wa lk shorter distances when they are

commut ing or in a hurry , such as from the bus

st op to their office. G uidelines for a ccepta ble

w a lking dista nces ar e listed below.

Tra dit ional ly , planners str ive to locatecommunity facilities, neighborhood parks,

a nd other popular pedestr ian origins and

destina tions no more tha n 400 meters (one-

quarter mile) from the origin of most

pedestrian tra vel.

Si te designers typical ly use 90 meters (300

feet) as the ma ximum dista nce from pa rking

a nd site pedestr ian circulation to building

entra nces. St reet crossings a re typically

most effective w hen loca ted a pproximat ely

120 t o 180 meter s (400 to 600 feet) apa rt in

a reas hea vily used by pedestria ns.

A Gui de to Land U se and Publ ic

Tr ansport ation, Volume I, published by

SNO-TRAN, sta tes th a t pedestr ians ca n be

expected t o tra vel about 300 meters (1,000

feet) to a tra nsit stop or pa rk-a nd-ride space

about 230 meters (750 feet) for mobility

impa ired a nd a bout 535 meter s (1,758

feet or one-th ird mile) to a commut er ra il

stat ion .

Ta b le 6

Some Important Needs ofPedestrians

S a f e s t reet s and wa lk in g a reas

C on ven ien ce

N earby places to wa l k

Visibilit y

C om for t and shelt er

Attra ctive and clean environment

Access to t r an sit

In teres t ing th ings to look a t w h ile

walking

S ocia l in ter act ion


23/248

About Pedestrians


Spatial Needs

Figure 3 illustr a tes approxima te huma n

dimensions w hen wa lking a nd si t t ing .

For t w o people wa lking side-by-side or passin geach other w hile tra velling in opposite

directions, the a verage spa ce ta ken up is 1.4

meters (4 feet 8 inches).

Wa lking rat es slow wh en pedestria n volumes

increa se and squa re footage per person

decreases. Figure 4 illustra tes how a verage

flow volumes decrease on wa lkwa ys wit h

increa sing degrees of pedestr ian density.

A spa tia l bubble is t he preferred dist a nce of

unobstructed forw a rd vision w hile w a lking

under various circumst a nces. Figure 5i l lustra tes the spat ial bubbles tha t a re

comforta ble for t he avera ge pedestr ian wh ile

a tt ending a public event, shopping, wa lking

under norma l conditions, a nd w a lking for

pleasur e. This informa tion is helpful to the

designer for use in calculating how much

forw a rd clear space is necessar y to mainta in a

reasonable degree of comfort for pedestrians.

F V = flow volu me

AS = a ver a ge s peed

O = occupa ncy

pfm = pedestrian per foot width of wa lkway perminute

sf/p = square feet per person

Source: Adapt ed from Ti me-Saver Stan dar ds for

L andscape Ar chitectur e

F V: 20 pfm 25 pfm > 25 pfmAS : 2.3 mph 1.5 mph 0-1.25 mph

O: 10 sf/p 5 sf/p < 5 sf/p

F V: 7 pfm 10 pfm 15 pfm

AS : 3 mph 2.8 mph 2.6 mph

O: 36 sf/p 25 sf/p 15 sf/p

Spatial Needs for Pedestrians

F igu r e 4

F igu r e 3

Source: Adapt ed from Ti me-Saver Stan dar ds for

L andscape Ar chitectur e

Human Dimensions WhenWalking and Sitting


24/248

About Pedestrians


Children and Older Adults

Different pedestr ian a ge groups have different

needs. Ta ble 7 summ a rizes common

pedestria n cha ra cteristics rela ted to a ge

groups.

The primary need of young pedestrians is

a dult supervision. Even design wit h the best

of intentions cannot fully protect children

from the dangers of str eets. Educa tional

progra ms geared towa rd increasing a childs

aw ar eness of tra f f ic and safe ty measures are

an importa nt tool to increasing their safe ty as

pedestria ns. In a ddition to adult supervision

and effective education programs, good design

of the pla ces children w a lk most, such as

school zones a nd school wa lking routes,

neighborhood str eets, a nd pa rks, can

significant ly help to improve their sa fety.

Older a dults have a varie ty o f needs as

pedestria ns. Research shows tha t people over

60 wa lk more, yet in some cases may ha ve

impa ired mobility . Ta ble 8 lists some

examples of elements tha t a id older adult s in

their tra vel as pedestria ns.

Ta b le 7

Common PedestrianCharacteristics by Age Group

Age 0 to 4 Lea rning to w alk

Requ ir ing constan t

parent a l supervision

Developing peripheral

vision, depth perception

Ag e 5 to 12 I ncreas in g in depen den ce,

but st ill requiring

supervision

P oor depth perception

Susceptible to dart out/

intersection da sh

Age 13 to 18 Sense of invulnerab il ity

In tersect ion dash

Age 19 to 40 Act ive, ful ly aware of

tr a ffic environment

Age 41 to 65 S lowing of ref lexes

Age 65+ S treet crossing difficult y

Poor vision Di ff icu lty hear ing

vehicles approaching

from behind

H igh fa t a lit y ra t e

Source: Washington State Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on

and Pedestri an Wal kwa ys Plan , 1994

F igu r e 5

Source: Adapt ed from Ti me-Saver Stand ard s for Lan dscape Ar chitectur e

Spatial Bubbles


25/248

About Pedestrians


People With Disabilities

P eople with disabilities, including t hose using

special w a lking aids or w heelchairs, need

carefully designed fa cilities tha t eliminat e

barriers .

The needs of pedestr ians wit h disa bilities can

va ry w idely depending on the ty pe of disability

and level of impairment. Elements tha t a re

helpful to people w ith d isa bilities a re listed in

Ta ble 9.

Spa ce requirements for pedestr ians w ith

disabilities va ry considerably depending upon

their physica l abilities and t he assistive

devices they use. Spa ces designed to

a ccommodat e wheelcha ir users a re genera lly

considered to be functiona l an d a dva nta geous

for most people. Figure 6 illustra tes the

spat ial dimensions of a w heelchair user, a

person on crutches, and a sight-impaired

person.

Ta b le 8

Aids to Older Pedestrians

Reduced roadwa y crossing distances

(bulb-outs a nd curb extensions)

Signals within 60 feet of viewing

distance; easy-to-read signs

Refuge areas in roadway crossings

Tra ffi c ca l min g

S helt er a nd s ha de

H andra ils

Smooth sur faces and unobstructedtra vel ways

S ig na l t im in g a t lower th an av erag e

wa lking speed

Ta b le 9

Aids to Pedestrians WithDisabilities

C ur b cut s a n d r a mps

Ta ct ile w a rn in gs

Ea sy-to-reach activat ion buttons

Audib le warn ings and message

systems

Raised and Bra i l le let te rs for

communication

S ig na l t im in g a t lower th an av erag e

wa lking speed

Maximum grade of 1:20 and cross

slope of 1:50 (ra mps ca n be 1:12)

Roadwa y crossing refuges

Reduced roadwa y crossing distances

(bulb-outs a nd curb extensions)

Tra ff ic ca l mi ng

H andra ils

Smooth sur faces and unobstructed

tra vel ways

Resear ch shows that older adu lt s wal k more

th an other age groups.


26/248

About Pedestrians


Levels of Use and

Travel Characteristics

Various Settings

Different a reas in Wa shington experience

different levels of pedestr ian t ra vel. In certa in

urba n area s, the level of w a lking is higher. In

Sea tt le, for exa mple, a pproxima tely sevenpercent of commut e trips a re wa lking trips.

The Centennial Trail along the Spokane River

provides a pedestria n a nd bicycle link thr ough

Spokan e an d is considered the centerpiece of

successful redevelopment effort s in t he city

center. Ta ble 10 lists some reasons w hy urba n

a reas receive high pedestr ian use.

In spite of the t wo good examples of Sea tt le

a nd Spokane, wa lking typica lly still only

comprises betw een one a nd four percent of all

commu te trips in Wa shingt on overall. This

low pedestria n commut e percenta ge lea ds to

the conclusion tha t t here is an enormous

a mount of unta pped potentia l to increase

wa lking as a mode of commut ing in

Washington (State Bi cycle Tr anspor tat ion and

Pedestri an Walk ways Plan).

P edestrian tra vel is h igher in urban area s, but

pedestria ns can a lso be found in suburba n a nd

rur a l a rea s. There is a common misconception

that people who live in the suburbs do not

wa lk, but resear ch indicat es that th is is not

Sour ce: Accessibi li ty Design for Al l

F igu r e 6

Spatial Dimensions for People With Disabilities

Sight Impair ed


27/248

About Pedestrians


the case , part icular ly in suburban a reas tha t

provide a n interconnected a nd continuous

system of well-designed pedestrian facilities.Anne Vernez-Moudons r esear ch pa per, Effects

of Site Design on Pedestri an T r avel i n M ixed-

U se, Mediu m Density En vir onm ents,

December 1996, found that relatively high

numbers of people wa lk in suburba n centers,

where a dequate pedestrian faci li t ies a re

provided. (See the discussion relat ed to this

research lat er in this section.)

It is a lso import a nt to recognize tha t people

l iving in suburban and rura l areas t ravel as

pedestria ns for different purposes th a n t hose

living in urban areas. Suburban and rural

pedestria n trips ar e often associa ted wit h

w a lking to schools or school bus st ops, tr a nsit

bus st ops, or for recreat ion a nd leisure

purposes, an d fewer people wa lk for t he

purpose of running erra nds, shopping, a nd

tr a velling t o community services.

Trip Characteristics

P edestrians tra vel for a wide varie ty o f

reasons. In Wa shington a nd throughout the

United St at es, pedestria n tra vel is gaining

renewed a t t ention a s a form of tra nsporta t ion .

P edestr ian t ra vel a nd other modes of

transportation are being encouraged as

a lterna tives to single occupant vehicle tra vel

for energy conserva tion, reduced t ra ffic

congestion, and bett er air qua lity. Ta ble 11

lists va rious types of trips more and m ore

people are choosing to ma ke as pedestria ns.Ta ble 12 lists facts relat ed to pedestria n t rips.

Research on Pedestrian Use

Research ha s shown tha t more people w a lk in

areas where pedestrian improvements and

facilities have been constructed.Ta b le 10

Why Urban Areas Receive HighPedestrian Use

Higher densit ies of residences,

businesses, a nd other origins a nddestinations

Traf f ic congestion

High concentrat ions of origin and

destinat ion points

Shopping and services are more

accessible to pedestrians

Average tr ip distances are shorter

Pa rking is too costly or unavai lable

Transi t service is more readily

available

More avai lable pedestrian faci li t ies

Ta b le 11

Typical Types of PedestrianTrips

(Why P eople Wa lk)

To and from work and school

Socia l v is it s and even ts

Appoin tm en ts

H ea lt h a n d exer cis e

E r r an ds an d d eliv er ies

Recrea t ion

Extra curricu lar act ivi t ies

Combined (recreational wa lking while

shopping)

Multimodal tr ips (wa lking to a bus stop)


28/248

About Pedestrians


Un i ver si t y of Wash i ng t on S tud y

As previously discussed, recent resea rch

conducted by t he U niversity of Wa shington

Department o f Urba n P lanning (Dr. Anne

Vernez-Moudon) stud ied 12 locat ions in t he

P uget Sound region, six in urba n a reas a nd six

in suburban area s, each w ith similar

populat ion densities, land us e cha ra cteristics,

a nd demogra phics. The va ria ble a t each

locat ion w a s th e extent of pedestria n fa cilities

provided. The study esta blished tw o prima rycriteria for measur ing the extent of facilities:

completeness of th e pedestria n netw ork

(extent, distribution, and type of facilities);

a nd pedestr ian r oute directness (tra vel

dista nce, dista nce contour, an d relat ed

densities).

According to th is research, t he mea sures

tr a ditionally used to predict pedestr ian

volumes (population density, land use

distribut ion, an d intensity) are insufficient toexplain pedestr ian volumes. Site design,

community layout (block size), and the

presence of pedestr ian facilities must a lso be

considered. This research confirms tha t

pedestria n volumes in suburban a reas ha ve

the potential t o increase w hen facilities

(sidewa lks, wa lkwa ys, crosswa lks, a nd other

improvements) are a dded.

The foregone conclusion of this s tud y w a s th a t

in locations where there were more completefacilities and direct routes provided for

pedestria ns, there were more pedestr ian s

wa lking (Ef fects of Si te Design on Pedestr ia n

Tr avel i n M ixed-Use M edi um Density

Envi ronments).

Na t i o n a l B i k i n g a n d Wa l k i n g St u d y

The Nati onal Bi k ing and Walking Study,

conducted in 1993, included 24 case st udies

that provided in-depth information on specific

topics related t o bicycling an d w a lking. CaseStu dy N o. 4, Measur es to Over come

Impedi ments to Bi cycl i ng and Walk ing, cited

thr ee prima ry ca tegories of reasons for not

walking:

Fa ci l ity def iciencies

Informa tion or knowledge deficiencies

Motivat ional def iciencies

Facility deficiencies include lack of adequate

facilities and connectivity. Informat ion or

knowledge deficiencies ar e a result of peoplenot knowing a bout t he level of wa lking

opportun ities a va ilable to them. Motiva tional

deficiencies have to do w ith a tt itudes a nd

behaviors people not walking because

dista nces betw een origins and destina tions are

too long, w a lking is not convenient, the

w eat her is poor, or th ey feel uncomfort a ble or

unprotected as pedestr ians. In man y ca ses

informa tion/knowledge a nd motiva tiona l

deficiencies would decrease as a result of

improvements to pedestr ian facilities a nd

expa nding the pedestria n netw ork.

Pedestrian Trip Facts

Pedestrian tr ips account for 39 percent

of all trips less th a n one mile, ranking

second only t o priva te motor vehicletrips

73 percent o f al l pedestrian tr ips are

less than one-half mile

One out of five tr ips is work related

Sources: Washington Stat e Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on

and Pedestri an Walk ways Plan; Best Foot Forw ard

Pedestr ian News

Ta b le 12


29/248

About Pedestrians


Desire for Improved PedestrianFacilities

P ublic opinion surveys h a ve shown t ha t people

have a desire to wa lk and w ould increase thea mount of pedestria n tr a vel they do if better

facilities were a va ilable. One survey

conducted at the na tional level is the 1990

H arr is Pol l. In th is survey, 59 percent of

respondents sa id they w ould be willing to

wa lk outdoors or w a lk more often if there

were safe designated paths or wa lkway s

(Pathways for People, Em ma us P A, 1992).

A survey conducted by the City of Bellevue

found similar results w hen polling students in

sixth thr ough tw elfth gra des in Bellevuepublic a nd priva te schools. The Youth L ink

Tr ansport ation Sur veycompiled t he r esponses

of 900 students a nd det ermined the following

findings:

Approximat ely 75 percent o f the students

w ould consider w a lking or bicycling to school

as a n al terna tive transporta t ion mode.

There ar e several factors that w ould cause

st udent s to be more likely to wa lk to school,

including sa fer crossings (25 percent), bett er

light ing (29.7 percent), bett er sidewa lks

(36.5 percent), a nd people to w a lk w ith (44.9

percent).

Ta ble 13 lists some common rea sons for low

levels of pedestria n t ra vel.

Forecasting Pedestrian Use

At times, pedestr ian facility improvements

a nd expansions ar e not supported because

existing use levels are low. As discussed

above, there are severa l s tudies tha t ha ve

shown t hat when faci li t ies are a dded a nd

improved within a community, more people

will w a lk. Design practit ioners frequently

inquire about more forma l methods ava ilable

to foreca st pedestria n use levels.

Forecast ing methods ma y provide a

qua nti ta t ive approach to determining the

deman d for pedestr ian facilities, but th is

approach shouldnt replace a common sense

Pedestr ia ns come in al l sizes.

Ta b le 13

Common Reasons for LowLevels of Pedestrian Travel

Poor facil it ies ; lack of s idewa lks or

walkways

Fai lure to provide a contiguous system

of pedestria n facilities

Concerns for personal safe ty

Fai lure to provide faci li t ies to and

from popular origins a nd destina tions

I nclem en t w ea t h er

P oor ligh tin g

Lack of separa ted f aci li t ies

Sources: Washington Stat e Bi cycle Tr ansport ati on

and Pedestri an Walkw ays Plan; Nati onal Biki ng

and Wal kin g Study Case Study #4


30/248

About Pedestrians


thought process to determine the necessity for

facilities. Ta ble 14 lists questions tha t sh ould

be asked wh en considering wha t t ypes of

pedestria n fa cilities should be developed

under va rious circumsta nces.

Ta b le 14

Ask the Following Questions

Are there origins and destinations

wit hin acceptable pedestr ian tr a vel

distances tha t will generate tr ips?

- schools and parks

- shopping areas

- medical facilities

- social services

- h ou sin g

- community and recreat ional centers

- tra nsit/park-a nd-ride

Does the exis t ing st reet o r roadway

provide pedestrian facilities?

What is the sett ing (urban center,

residentia l, rura l)?

Are there high traf f ic volumes andspeeds tha t could a ffect pedestria n

use?

Can pedes tr ians cross wi thou t

tr a velling more tha n 120 to 180

met ers (400 to 600 feet ) to a n

intersection or another crossing point?

Are transi t or school bus stops locat ed

along the roadw ay with safe access

a nd crossing?

Is there an opportunity to complete acontiguous system by filling in existing

gaps?

Are there barriers to pedestrian travel

that can be removed or opened (dead-

end routes, blocked pa ssa ges)?


31/248

21

Design Toolkit


Design ToolkitThe design toolkit provides specific design

guidelines and informa tion organized under

11 toolkit sections:

Toolkit 1 General Design Guidelines

Toolkit 2 Accessibility

Toolkit 3 Children and School Zones

Toolkit 4 Trails and Pathways

Toolkit 5 Sidewalks and Walkways

Toolkit 6 Intersections

Toolkit 7 Crossings

Toolkit 8 Traffic Calming

Toolkit 9 Pedestrian Access to Transit

Toolkit 10 Site Design for Pedestrians

Toolkit 11 Safety in Work Zones

Well designed pedestr ian facili ti es enhance the li vabil it y of our comm un it ies.


32/248

22

Design Toolkit



33/248

23

General Design Guidelinesuuuuu1


This section provides an in tr oduction to the

design toolkit by first defining pedestr ian

facilities a ccording to Wa shington law a nd

policy. Next, a brief overview of th e

importa nce of good design for pedestria ns is

provided, followed by a discussion related to

some genera l pedestria n planning a nd design

guidelines tha t ca n be applied on a community

or region w ide ba sis. The design informa tion

presented in t his section provides importa nt

basic guidance for improving overall

conditions for pedestrians in Washington,

thereby encouraging pedestria n tra vel a s an

a lterna tive to single occupant vehicles and

enhan cing our qua lity of life.

This Toolkit Section

Addresses:

Pedestri an Facil it ies Defined

T he Im portan ce of Good Design for

Pedestrians

T he Bi gger Pictu r e Cr eati ng Pedestri an

Fr i endly Comm uni t i es

C reatin g a Conti nu ous Pedestri an System

C reatin g an Ef fective Pedestr ian System

Pedestri an Fr iendl y Str eets

O th er Sour ces of I nform ati on

General Design

Guidelines

uuuuuToolkit 1

Pedestr ian facili ti es in clu de more than ju st sidewal ks, as descr ibed in Tabl e 15.


34/248

24



Pedestrian Facilities

Defined

The 1994 Washi ngton Stat e Pol i cy Pl an

recognizes that pedestrian facilities are far

more extensive th a n t he simple definition of a

sidewa lk as def ined by Washington la w.

Table 15 compares the expanded definition of

pedestr ian fa cilities to th e definition of a

sidewalk.

The Importance of

Good Design for

Pedestrians

P edestria ns are an in tegral part o f

Washingtons transportation system. The

import a nce of good design not only a pplies to

development of new facilities, but a lso to

improvement a nd ret rofit of existing facilities

for pedestria n use. When pedestria n a ccess is

expa nded a nd existing conditions for

pedestr ian s a re improved, higher numbers of

pedestr ian s can be expected to use thesystem. Resear ch ha s shown tha t well

designed and ma inta ined pedestrian faci li t ies

encoura ge wa lking and promote higher levels

of pedestria n t ra vel.

P edestr ians w an t f ac il it ies tha t a re sa fe,

a t t ra ct ive, convenient , and easy t o use . I f

designed properly, the best public pedestria n

faci li t ies ca n a lso be the most dura ble and th e

easiest t o mainta in . P oor design of pedestrian

fa cilities ca n lead t o perpetua l problems andcan a ctual ly discoura ge use if pedestrians a re

ma de to feel unsa fe, unprotected, or

uncomforta ble. U na tt ra ctive, inadequa te , an d

poorly designed and ma inta ined fa cilities ca n

be an unfortuna te wa ste of money and

resources and a hindra nce to community

vital i ty .

Pedestr ian facil it ies include fur ni shi ngs that

create a pedestr ian fr i end l y atmosphere.

Ta b le 15

Expanded Definition ofPedestrian Facilities

Pedestrian facilities include:

S idewa lks and on-street facil it ies

Wa lkw a y s a n d t r a ils

Curb ra mps

Tra ffic calming and control devices

C rossw a lks

G rad e separa t i on s (such a s

underpasses a nd overpasses)

Wide shou lders in rura l areas

Furnish ings tha t crea te a pedes tr ian

friendly a tm osphere (such as benches

and landscaping)

Other technology, design features, andstra tegies intended to encourage

pedestria n tra vel (such as tra ffic

calming devices including traffic

circles, speed hum ps), plant ing st rips,

shelters, public a rt , and lighting

Source: Washington Stat e Policy Plan, 1994

Definition of sidewalk:

A sidewa lk means property betw een th e

curb lines in the lat eral line of a roa dwa y

a nd adja cent property, set aside andintended for the use of pedestrians or

such portion of private property parallel

a nd in proximity to public highwa y a nd

dedica ted t o use by pedestria ns.

Sour ce: Revised Code of Washin gton (RCW)

46.04.540


35/248

25



Consider pedestria n fa cilities at the inception

of a ll public a nd priva te projects, a nd a ddress

pedestrian n eeds a s part of the to ta l design

solution. Exa mples of considering pedestria n

facilities at the onset would be creat ing apedestrian circulat ion ma ster plan a s part of

preparing a communit y pla n or project

specific design such as a n interm odal

tr a nsporta tion fa cility. This a llow s for

potential conflicts between transportation

modes related t o safety a nd level of service to

be resolved early on a nd a voids t he problems

of pedestrians being an af t erthought in the

design process.

Consider the cha ra cter and sett ing of thear ea, nearby land use densit ies , orig ins and

destina tions, and t he level of pedestria n use,

including the increa se in use th a t ma y occur

when pedestrian improvements a re insta l led.

Often, decisions not t o inst a ll pedestria n

facilities are short sight ed, ba sed on the

perception tha t a n a rea w ith low pedestria n

use doesnt need improvement. In rea lity,

pedestrians ar e probably not using the syst em

beca use it is not adeq ua tely meeting their

needs under existing conditions. Sometimeslan d use cha nges an d facilities need to be

upgra ded to serve more intensive pedestria n

tr a vel. After conditions ar e improved,

pedestrian use can almost a lwa ys be expected

to increase, bas ed on recent resear ch findings

(see About P edestria ns).

G ood design is an importa nt factor in

incorporat ing pedestr ian s into Wa shingtons

tra nsporta t ion system, but i t can t be

expected t o solve all pedestria n rela ted

problems. Edu cat ion and enforcement are

other importa nt t ools tha t h eighten

a wa reness of pedestria ns. P ro-active

sta tew ide, regional, a nd loca l policy

development t ypically sets t he sta ge for

esta blishing a st ronger focus on pedestr ian

issues and encouraging communities to better

meet pedestr ia n needs. Ta ble 16 describes

th e sta te policy for a chieving a mult imodal

Ta b le 16

State Policy for EncouragingPedestrian Travel

Loca l, regiona l, an d st a te jurisdictions

a ddressing pedestria n issues through

comprehensive planning as required

by the Int ermodal S urface

Tra nsporta tion E fficiency Act (IS TEA)

Considering pedestr ian needs in all

transportation facilities

Reinforcing a sense of neighborhoodand community w ith tra nsporta tion

designs tha t a ccommoda te pedestria n

us e

Ensur ing a connected syst em of

pedestria n routes in urba n a reas

Enh a ncing pedestria n mobility a nd

safety in rural a reas

Defining jurisdictiona l roles in

providing pedestrian facilities

Encouraging land use a nd

transportation development that

a ccommoda tes pedestr ians

P roviding pedestria n facilities tha t

complement local business a ctivity a nd

provide access for employees

Enh a ncing intermoda l a ccess for

persons w ith impaired mobility

Maintaining the existingtra nsporta tion system a dequa tely so

pedestria n use is ma ximized

Source: Washington State Tr ansport ati on Policy


36/248

26



tra nsporta t ion system tha t encoura ges

pedestrian t ra vel.

The Bigger Picture

Creating PedestrianFriendly Communities

There a re ma ny good sources of informa tion

about how t o plan a nd design pedestria n-

friendly communit ies, as listed a t t he end of

th is toolkit section. Some common

char a cteristics of pedestria n friendly

communities are listed in Table 17.

Ta b le 17

Common Characteristics of Pedestrian Friendly Communities

CoordinationBetween

J urisdictions

Linkages to a Varietyof Land Uses/RegionalConnectivity

ContinuousSystems/Connectivity

Shortened-Trips and

Convenient Access

ContinuousSeparation fromTraffic

PedestrianSupportive LandUse Patterns

Well-FunctioningFacilities

Designated Space

Security andVisibility

P utt ing pedestria n fa cilities in place to meet current a nd future needs

requir es close coordina tion betw een jurisdictions a nd other m odes of

transportation.

P edestria n circula tion a nd a ccess is provided t o shopping ma lls,

tr a nsit , downt own, schools, parks , offices, mixed-use development s,

a nd other community origins a nd destina tions, as w ell a s other

communit ies w ithin t he region, a s illustra ted in Figure 7.

A complete system of interconnected st reets, pedestria n w a lkwa ys, a nd

other pedestria n fa cilities will increase pedestria n t ra vel.

Connections a re provided between popular origins a nd destina tions,

betw een dead-end st reets or cul-de-sa cs, or a s short cuts t hrough openspaces, as illustra ted in Figure 8.

Minimized or elimina ted st reet a nd drivewa y crossings a re provided

a nd w ell defined. Buffers from motor vehicles a nd separ a tion of uses

are provided.

La nd use patt erns, such a s a grid layout or short blocks in business

districts a nd downtow ns enhance pedestria n mobility.

Adequa te width a nd sight dista nce, accessible gra des, a nd alignment t o

a void blind corner s a re provided. Common problems, such a s poor

drainage, are avoided.

P edestria n facilities should be well delinea ted, signed, and ma rked.

Design to ensure a secure environment for pedestr ians is import a nt.

Light ing, increa sed visibility, open sight -lines, an d a ccess to police a nd

emergency vehicles, and locating pedestria n fa cilities adjacent t o


37/248

27



Ta b le 17(Continued)

Automobile is notthe Only

Consideration

NeighborhoodTraffic Calming

Accessible andAppropriatelyLocated Transit

Lively PublicSpaces

Character

Scenic

Opportunities

PedestrianFurnishings

Street Trees andLandscaping

DesignRequirements

ProperMaintenance

St reets are designed for a ll modes of tra nsporta tion. P a rking supply is

reduced or ma na ged using methods tha t encoura ge wa lking.

Na rrowed st reets lined w ith trees, tr a ffic circles, curb bulbs, neck-

downs, a nd other t echniques can lower vehicle speeds a nd creat e safer

conditions for pedestrians.

Siting of tra nsit fa cilities adjacent to work, residentia l ar eas, shopping,

a nd recrea tional fa cilities encourages pedestria n tr ips. Tra nsit st ops

a nd centers should typically be loca ted in a reas of support ing densities

(4 to 7 unit s per acre minimum ). Development of a dequa te pedestr ia n

facilities to access tra nsit is essentia l to their success as a n a lterna tive

mode of travel.

Secure, a tt ra ctive, a nd a ctive spa ces provide focal points in thecommunit y wh ere people can ga ther a nd intera ct. P edestr ian pocket

parks a nd plaza s a re examples.

P reservat ion of importa nt cultura l, historic, and ar chitectura l

resources strength ens community herita ge and char a cter.

Att ra ctive environments a nd scenic views encourage pedestria n use,

part icular ly when facilities are oriented tow ar d them.

P roviding furnishings, such a s benches, restr ooms, drinking founta ins,

ar tw ork a nd other elements, creat es a more at tra ctive and functional

environment for pedestria ns.

St reet trees bring human scale to the street environment.

La ndscaping and flowers in plant ing strips, containers, a nd other

a reas soften surrounding har d edges of buildings a nd par king lots a nd

a dd life, color, a nd t extur e to the pedestria n's field of vision.

G uidelines and a dopted sta nda rds a re followed a nd, if deviat ed from,

justified and documented.

Frequent cleanup a nd repair on a regular ba sis ensures ongoing,

consistent use.

Common Characteristics of Pedestrian Friendly Communities (Continued)


38/248

28



Creating a Continuous

Pedestrian System

The pedestr ian t ra nsporta tion system in

Wa shington sh ould be consistent a cross

jurisdictiona l boundaries a nd public and

privat e developments. Regiona l and loca l

pedestria n syst ems need to be pla nned,

designed, and constructed to provide a

comprehensive net w ork of tr a vel options for

pedestrians.

The design guidelines in th is guidebook

encoura ge more consistent design of

pedestria n facilities throughout the sta te, but

th e responsibility to develop an d support a

seamless pedestrian tra nsporta t ion netw ork

lies with everyone. U nder current sta te la w ,

local jurisdictions ha ve the aut hority t o

require property owners a nd developers t o

provide sidew a lks (Washin gton State Poli cy

Plan). Ta rgeting public funding so tha t

str a tegica lly located projects ca n be designed

a nd built to fill in the gaps between privat e

development is one way to help improve the

overa ll syst em. Retrofit of existing area s

wh ere pedestria n facilities are inadequa te is

a nother importa nt st ep. The development of a

seamless pedestr ian s ystem w ill be the result

of both public and privat e investment

thr oughout n eighborhoods a nd communit ies.

Coordina tion betw een a gencies, governments,

a nd priva te entit ies is critical t o the success of

regiona l pedestria n systems. School districts,

utility companies, priva te corpora tions, and

local a gencies need to w ork together a t t he

onset of tr a nsport at ion a nd development

projects to rea ch the best solut ions for a ll

int erests involved. Consider th e needs of

pedestria ns t hroughout project planning,

design, and development processes a t a ll

levels , with part icular in terest towa rd

increa sing pedestr ian sa fety and mobility, a nd

improving the pedestrian netw ork overall .

Creating an Effective

Pedestrian System

P edestrian sy stems a nd facilities need to be

functiona l a nd effectively used by pedestrian s.

The National Bi cycle and Walki ng Study

conducted by the US D epa rtm ent of

Tra nsporta tion in 1992 provides a broa d

a pproa ch in its description of ma king a

pedestria n system effective. The study sta tes:

P edestria n fa cilities both encourage people to

wa lk and improve pedestria n safety a long

certa in routes. The fa cilities must be well-

designed a nd ma inta ined to be effective, a nd

must include the following feat ures:

Widened pav ed shoul ders to all ow safer

tr avel for pedestri ans;

Sidewal ks, paths or w alkw ays wh ich are

wi de, relati vely clear of obstru ctions and

separ ated fr om tr affi c lanes;

Gr ade separ ated pedestr ia n cr ossings,

wh ich ar e clear ly j usti fi ed, since such

facil it i es go un used or cr eate il legal str eetcrossin g behavi or by pedestr ia ns if n ot

pr oper ly plan ned, d esigned a nd located;

Pedestri an mal ls whi ch ar e well-pl ann ed

wi th r espect to comm ercial development ,

tr aff ic cir culat ion and visual appeal;

Pr oper design and oper ati on of t r affi c and

pedestri an signal s, in clud in g pedestri an

push but tons, wh er e appr opria te;

Barr iers th at ph ysical ly separate

pedestri ans from m otor vehicle tr affi c at

sel ected l ocati ons; (see page 30)


39/248

29



F igu r e 7

Creating an Effective Pedestrian System

1 Loca te par king near t he buildings they

serve.

2 Dr op-off zones a re most convenient w hen

located a s close to the primary entra nce to

th e building as possible. P rovide curb

cuts for pedestrian a ccessibility.

Wa lkwa ys sh ould be unobstr ucted.

Access to drop-off area s, par king, a nd

building entr ies should be direct a nd

convenient.

3 P rovide site entra nces tha t a re well

defined and conveniently located in

relat ion to the site a nd th e building.

4 Use clear a nd easy to read signage to

direct pedestrians to their origins a nd

destinations.

5 P rovide building entr ies tha t a re clearly

identified and accessible. L oca te public

fa cilities (restrooms, phones, drinkin g

founta ins) near entry wa ys an d accessible

routes.

6 Loca te w a iting a reas w ithin 90 m (300 ft)

of building ent ries. Avoid tr a ffic

congestion. Overhead shelters or

a wn ings next t o buildings provide

protection from weat her. P rovide

adequa te seat ing and lighting.

7 P rovide resting a reas w here pedestria ns

must walk

long

distances.

Benches and

other

furnishings

should notencroach on

walkways.

8 Provide

walkways

a long clea r a nd direct routes throughout

the site. Surfa ces should be fir